Respect (Joel Turner Song)

Respect (Joel Turner Song)

"Respect" is the fourth single from Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets' self-titled debut album. The verses are performed by the Modern Day Poets (MDP), with Turner contributing the chorus, bass and beatbox backing. A piano riff was supplied by Mefi Puni and Bryan Bouro.

The song is essentially a social comment on the lack of respect that exists within the hip-hop community. It also alludes to the gang wars that have claimed the lives of several American rappers, and is a warning and a plea that the Australian hip-hop scene does not follow suit.

On release, the single's video caused a slight controversy, as some people criticized the use of images of murdered rapper Tupac Shakur,But what the critics didn't know, Joel Turner's cousin Chris Heiner A.K.A C4 now known as 3am in the Valley called Video Hits Host at the time (Axle Whitehead) to pull the clip off air as Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets were unaware that the Tupac and Biggie footage was put together and organised by Mark Holden. Following the phone call to Axle Whitehead 'C4' called Label Manager Mark Holden and made serious threats towards him about the footage used, C4 talked about the clip and quoted

'Who the F*** would use images of Tupac and Biggie,they are Hiphop Legends,people don't see behind the closed curtains of the music industry, the fans and critics just saw that Joel Turner and MDP used Tupac and Biggie images in their clip, so i dont blame people for being critical at the start, but the truth is it was a snake that did it behind our back, he obviously does not know shit about Hiphop C4 laughed' and Quoted 'I would kick my own ass for doing that' why do you think i'm so pissed off, you just dont f*** with that, I hate seeing fake Tupac T-shirts exploited at a local market with his face on it' it's wrong, he didn't realise it would burn our career before it got started,what the f*** was he thinking, i'm done talking about it, all i can say is if your in the music industry be careful who you work with and keep your artist integrity dont let anyone take it away and if they try 'F*** em' stand up and smack em down' End quote.

After the clip was taken down it caused the split between Joel Turner and MDP and Mark Holden's Label Dream Dealers)as MDP felt Mark Holden failed to comply with artist integrity.Axle Whitehead approved of C4's A.K.A (3am in the valley's) orders and Pulled the clip off air immediatley. A second clip was released interspersed with footage of Turner and MDP from previous video shoots and the 2005 West Coast Blues and Roots Festival. In addition, ABC video show Rage censored the lyric "When peeps knock on your door / And force you to the floor / Put a gun in your mouth / Blow your brains out all over the wall". Shortly after the video’s release, a second clip for the song emerged in which most of the original content (including Shakur’s likeness) was replaced with colour scenes of the group performing the tune for the camera.

"Respect" was released in Australia on 17 October 2005. It debuted in the top 40 of the ARIA singles chart, peaking at #29 and reaching #2 on the Queensland charts.